Thousands of words written about black economic empowerment (BEE) every week examine the problems of lack of funding, foreign investor perceptions, faulty deal structures and so on. Little of any sense is written about the greatest threat to BEE — ”fronting” by white companies and corrupt practices by BEE companies.
Terrorists, construction delays, traffic chaos, and other mega-problems are seen as potential obstacles for the summer Olympics. But if the gargantuan Athens Games go down the tubes, it might just be on account of the little things that won’t.
The peripheral disasters waiting to happen in Athens during the Olympic Games
only compound the challenges facing the official event.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s latest musing about Iraq shows how far he has come since the glory days of weapons of mass destruction. He now has only one justification for the invasion of Iraq: it ”rid the world” of the dictator Saddam Hussein. This justification has serious consequences for British foreign policy. For if it is Britain’s aim to rid the world of dictators, where do we go next?
”And is it a boy or a girl?” I asked this guy who would be my friend, as we got to know each other. Crestfallen, he replied: ”It’s a girl.” And then he explained the frown on his face. ”This is no world to bring up a girl. The boys are going to f%*k her before she knows anything about love or sex.”
There is a significant sense among liberal South African Jews, who identify themselves with those who support an equitable negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, that too little international exposure and support is given to some positive initiatives and to the very active Israeli left wing, which opposes the policies of the current Israeli government.
”Some people have wacky ideas,” the new Republican campaign ad alleges. ”Like taxing gasoline more so people drive less. That’s John Kerry.” Cut to a shot of men in suits riding bicycles. Sadly, the accusation is false. Kerry has been demanding that the price of oil be held down. We underestimate the gravity of the oil crisis at our peril, argues George Monbiot.
The Banking Council of South Africa was disappointed by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s refusal to amend the Financial Intelligence Centre Act for low-risk clients, a spokesperson said on Monday. ”We really want to discuss the whole thing with them. We are running out of time,” said communications manager Claire Gebhart-Mann.
Absa Cup champions Moroka Swallows have started preparing themselves for the 2004 soccer season by signing top striker Cecil Oersen. Oersen has joined the Dube Birds from Bloemfontein Celtic, the team he helped to regain their Castle Premiership status last season when they won the First Division title.
Ajax Cape Town are expected to name former Zimbabwean international striker Ian Gorowa as the club’s new assistant coach. The much travelled Gorowa impressed Urban Warriors head coach Gordon Igesund during the interviews for the job two weeks ago.
Portuguese police arrested 12 people early on Tuesday in the Algarve resort town of Albufeira after some 200 mainly English football fans clashed with riot police, a police spokesperson said. It was the first major disturbance involving English fans since the Euro 2004 finals started last Saturday.